What's the deal w/ the numbering of Freeways? LA expl: the 210, 710, THE 10? what's the reasoning?

Question

I just don't get it...There has to be a reason that the common number is "10"---what is it??

Answer 1

even numbers run east and west odd numbers run north and south

Answer 2

All interstates use the same numbering system.

Major East/West freeways are numbered 10, 20, 30,...up through 90. The order goes from North to South. the 10 goes through Los Angeles. The 40 starts in Barstow. The 80 goes into San Francisco. The others start somewhere other than California.

Major North/South freeways are numbers 5,15,25,35,...,up through 95. The order goes from West to East. The 5 Freeway and the 15 are both in California, and end in San Diego. The 95 travels up the East Coast.

Bypasses (which split off and return to a freeway, or are an alternate route) have three numbers, the first being an even number. The 210 is a bypass, or alternate route, from the 10. The 405 and 605 freeways are bypasses of the 5 Freeway.

Spurs (which split off and go into an area) have three numbers, with the first number being an odd number. The 710 breaks off from the 10 and goes to Long Beach. The 105 Breaks off the 5 Freeway and goes to the Airport area (or Norwalk, the other way). The 110 breaks from the 10 and goes to Pasadena.

All these highways are part of the "Interstate System", which means that the US goverment pays for them, whether they actually lie in more than one state.

Some LA freeways are "State" roads, which means that the State of California pays for them. Examples of those are the 91 and 57 freeways. Some others are both freeways and roads (like the 2, which is Santa Monica Blvd., Alvarado Street, a Freeway, and Angeles Crest Highway). State roads generally don't have a nice numbering system, although State Route #1 and #2 do meet in Santa Monica, at one of the coolest intersections in the area.

Answer 3

I read this explanation somewhere.
The idea is that the main (interstate) highways have 2 digit numbers (that would be 10) The loops and spurs and local pieces (only within a region or state) that are related somehow (I forget how, connected to the main HWY, probably) get 3-digit numbers, with the last 2 digits the same as the main HWY. There is meaning for even and odd numbers too. East-West and North-South or something like that.
So, in theory, you know you can get to the 10 from the 210 and the 710 because of the number.

Up in Nor Cal all our hwys are 80s, cuz the interstate up here is route 80

Then we share the 5, with 405 and 605, etc.

Answer 4

In my area, we don't have anything with a ten! National highways go like this: If they run North and South, they are odd numbers, I75 I95, etc. East and West are Even I80, I20. As far as local roads or state highways, there may be no significance. Maybe the first was 10, second was 110. You can probably get some information from the library. Or go to your state highways website, and check it out!

Answer 5

The main Interstate Highways are named with a two digit number.

The three-digit Highways consisting of a single digit prefixed to the main number are for the auxiliary highways that branch out of the primary one.

In your case the main Interstate Highway is I-10. The 210, 710 are most probably loop routes branching out of the 10.

Answer 6

in general even numbered freeways run east-west, and odd numbered ones run north-south.

also, in many areas there is a main freeway (10 in the LA area) and a number of somewhat parallel freeways that service outlying areas that will share common tens and ones digit numbers (210,710,etc)

Answer 7

No 2 high ways can have the same number. Generally more important or older highways have lower numbers.

Answer 8

Yes, there is a reason. As stated above and three numbers are usually the "Loops" around the city, sometimes a short cut.

Answer 9

You can read all about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_highway